Bontoni is a luxury men’s shoe brand founded in 2004 by Franco Gazzani and his cousin Lewis Cutillo. Gazzani represents the third generation of shoemakers in his family, who had made shoes for family and friends for years. Bontoni takes this history of the craft into their designs, with many shoes originally created by Gazzani’s grandfather and father. The Italian label is family owned, and their workshop is located in Montegranaro, Italy, producing highly exclusive ready-made and bespoke dress shoes for men.
Quality is integral to the brand, and every part of the shoemaking process is completed to the highest standards possible. First, the materials used for Bontoni footwear are always only the most reputable. They source their leather from the best tanneries, with the leather cutter inspecting every element of the material to ensure complete consistency. Every shoe is hand-coloured, meaning that each design is completely unique. This idea of individuality is important to Bontoni, and enhances the prestigious nature of their designs. Keeping exceptional craftsmanship at the heart of the brand, Bontoni keeps their workshop small, employing the best artisans, and the process takes around 12 weeks to produce ready-made shoes, and up to 10 months for custom designs. Bontoni is therefore only able to produce around 9-12 pairs of shoes a day, and throughout the year they will produce a limited number of pairs, highlighting the skill and meticulous attention to detail which goes into each model.
With such extraordinary artistry and dedication put into Bontoni shoes, the result is a celebration of Italian skill and style, combined with modern design. Timeless and traditional yet wearable today, Bontoni footwear is elegant and enduring. With their painstaking hand-colouring, many rich and gorgeous colours are produced, from browns to greens to mauves. The brand brings style and class to all in their range, from formal lace ups to more laid-back woven loafers. Sumptuous leather boots and fashionable sneakers are refined and polished.
Bontoni collections can be found through various shop-in-shops across the world, in stores such as Harrods and Bergdorf Goodman.